INTERPOL appoints senior Ugandan police officer as its first female director from Africa

INTERPOL on January 10, 2012 released the following:

“LYON, France – The world’s largest international police organization has appointed Ugandan police officer Elizabeth Kuteesa to lead a key department at its General Secretariat headquarters, marking the first appointment of an African woman as an INTERPOL director.

Announcing the appointment of Elizabeth Kuteesa as Director of INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau and Regional Police Services (NRPS) unit, INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said the promotion of the former Director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate with the Ugandan Police demonstrated the global role of African women within the international law enforcement community.

“As the world’s largest police organization with 190 member countries it is vital that INTERPOL’s staff at its General Secretariat not only reflect this diversity but also bring the relevant policing experience and expertise in order to meet the needs of our National Central Bureaus worldwide,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble.

“With global responsibility for liaising with our member countries, Elizabeth Kuteesa’s appointment is a mark both of her achievements as well as of the high calibre of staff seconded to INTERPOL by its member countries in Africa and other regions.”

“Through this appointment INTERPOL has once again demonstrated its ability to attract the finest policemen and policewomen committed to enhancing international police cooperation,” concluded the head of INTERPOL.

Since 2007 Ms Kuteesa has served at INTERPOL as Assistant Director for the Africa region, and previously held a range of positions with the Ugandan Police including Officer in Charge of the Anti-Narcotics Squad at CID Headquarters.

As head of the NRPS directorate, Ms Kuteesa will oversee the unit’s activities across four main domains: providing support and coordination for INTERPOL’s National Central Bureaus, coordinating the activities of its Regional Bureaus and Liaison Offices, coordinating the implementation of cooperation agreements between INTERPOL and regional bodies or entities, and implementing recommendations from statutory regional conferences and INTERPOL business plans for the regions.”

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